Rock Island Metra train hits vehicle near Oak Forest; 2 killed

Andrew L. Wang and Ashley RueffTribune reporters

A Rock Island Line Metra train destined for Chicago collided with a car Thursday afternoon killing two women, officials said.

Traveling as fast as 60 miles an hour, the train struck a car at a rail crossing between the Tinley Park and Oak Forest station at about 4 p.m., crushing the vehicle beyond recognition, witnesses said.

Of the 89 passengers aboard, seven were taken to local hospitals with what police characterized as minor injuries. Officials said Thursday night that the two woman killed in the car have not been identified.

“It’s probably one of the worst hits I’ve seen down the tracks with a car for a long time,” said Oak Forest Fire Chief Terry Lipinski.

Liz Marlow was riding the train to the LaSalle Station with her two 7-year-old daughters and a friend. When it crashed in to the vehicle at the rail crossing, she thought the engine had blown.

“It was a big jolt and the train went off the track and there was just dust everywhere,” said the 34-year-old mother from Orland Park.

After being escorted from the train, passengers watched emergency responders tend to the injured while police closed off the area to traffic and news helicopters hovered overhead.

“You couldn’t even tell it was a car,” Marlow said, describing the twisted metal still lodged beneath the train. “It was not recognizable as even a vehicle.”

While Marlow and her daughters walked away from the wreckage unscathed, her friend was among those transported to area hospitals.

“It’s like it’s not happening,” said Marlow, still in shock.

In the sweltering heat, a group of several dozen people who appeared to be passengers were massed on a nearby bike path, waiting for rides home.

Lisa McClinton, 44, of Tinley Park, was looking for her 29-year-old son, who had boarded the train at the nearby Oak Park Avenue stop to return to Chicago.

“He’s alive, praise God,” said McClinton, who had received a call from emergency responders reporting that he had been taken to the hospital.

Lipinski said he was unsure if Thursday’s heat was a factor in the accident. “I think after Metra’s investigation we’ll find out more about that,” he said.

Shortly after 7 p.m., Metra officials were still investigating the scene near 167th Street and Central Avenue and assessing the damage.

It was not immediately clear whether safety systems, including alarms, lights and gates, were fully operational at the time of the crash, Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet said. And, the train conductor did put the train in emergency stop mode.

The force of the impact knocked the lead car off of the track. A bent rail on the inbound side of the line will have to be repaired before Metra can resume normal service.

Metra will download the event recorder, a device that works much like an airplane black box. It will tell officials how fast the train was traveling and if the safety signals and gates were working properly.

“We’ll look at everything. We’ll look at the signals; we’ll look at the gates,” Pardonnet said.

Pardonnet said Thursday that it was unclear if the Friday morning commute would be affected by the crash.

“We’re (hopeful) that the morning commute will be OK,” Pardonnet said, adding that crews will work through the night to make repairs.